Here at hosco.plus, we understand what a long shift means—many of us worked in hotel operations before joining hosco. So we know a thing or two about long, seemingly endless, back-to-back shifts worked on the floor (sometimes in heels!). The hospitality industry is known for being fast-paced and dynamic, but also for involving long and irregular hours for those in management positions. It is also an industry with a high turnover rate, with burnout and job-related stress among the top reasons. A Dutch study called the Permanent Life Situation Survey (2009) revealed that hotel workers experience burnout at a rate of one in seven, citing the 24/7 nature of hospitality work as a contributing factor.
How to avoid becoming just another industry statistic? Make sure to take the time to recover the right way from the accumulated stress and fatigue of those long shifts. Not sure how? Here are five tips for shift salvation:
1. Get some sleep!
While your first instinct may be to head to the bar after a 16-hour day, what your body and brain really need is restful sleep. The hotel’s espresso machine may help you get through your shift, but it won’t help you rest. Caffeine inhibits sleep, so avoid over-consuming it to ensure a full recovery.
2. Make time for exercise
We know, it’s hard to do when you feel like your time is not your own. That’s why it’s important to schedule exercise in advance at a time when you know you won’t be working. It’s no secret that physical activity has been shown to decrease stress, increase endurance and focus, and improve mental well-being, which means that a regular trip to the gym can help you cope with—and make you better at—working those long shifts.
3. Eat well
We’ve all been there—a day where you take all three meals in the hotel canteen. The key here is in taking them, and not skipping them. When you work in hotel operations, you can be on your feet and running all day, which can lead to skipping meals. It will be easier to recover from an extra-long shift if you don’t leave it with an empty stomach and plummeting blood sugar levels.
4. Don’t bring work home
You just left the hotel an hour ago, and you’re still thinking about work. It’s normal if you’ve just spent the good part of a day there—but stop. Try to “wrap up” your shift during the last two hours you are there. That means sending effective communication to the manager coming in next, and delegating tasks to the team that is still there when you leave.
5. Have some fun!
Don’t live to work—work to live. If you are regularly following our first four suggestions, you can probably afford to blow off some steam now and again. Whether your idea of fun is a wild weekend in Vegas, a solo hike, or an advanced knitting class—go for it!
